Mentioning that Awami League never makes a business out of the nomination process, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday asked all the party leaders and activists to work together to ensure its victory in the December 30 election.
"To retain power and maintain the ongoing development trend, the most important thing is to ensure a win for ‘Boat’ staying together," she said.
The prime minister stated this while addressing an election rally in Narail, via videoconference from her personal residence Sudha Sadan in the capital, reports UNB.
Bangladesh Cricket Team's ODI captain Mashrafe bin Mortaza, who is contesting from Narail 2 constituency with Awami League's ticket, was also present during the video conference.
As a big party, Awami League has many nomination-seekers for one seat, but the party has to pick only one candidate for one constituency, she said.
"We conducted several surveys two years after the last general election...we have selected our party candidates based on those surveys. However, Awami League did has not created a business of selecting the candidates."
Sheikh Hasina, also the President of the ruling Awami League, said, "It is BNP’s habit to create a business out of the election. As a result, they are now experiencing intra-party conflicts...they have held auctions to chose their election candidates."
Hasina said BNP men set fire to their own offices and shifted the blame onto another party.
The Awami League president also said she has heard that the BNP men will wear Mujib coats and badges of Awami League, Bangladesh Chhatra League, and Jubo League— on election day—to create anarchy and rig the votes.
"I also heard they are printing fake ballot papers...we have to save the country from this evil quarter," she said.
While addressing the Cox's Bazar audience, Hasina said the ruling party government has fulfilled all its election pledges in the last two terms. "Awami League never reneges on its election manifesto."
She said the government is working for the overall development of the country and its people.
Hasina mentioned that every time Awami League comes to power it works for the welfare of the country; and it will do the same in the coming days.
"We will ensure the overall development of the country so that we can build a hunger-and poverty-free-Bangladesh which was the dream of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman," she said.
To maintain the trend of development, Hasina said, people will have to cast their votes in favour of her party in the upcoming election and give it another chance to serve them. "I am requesting all to give us the chance," she said.
If voted to power again, the prime minister said, it will be possible to implement the development programs initiated by her government and thereby maintain the ongoing pace of progress.
